More About Buddy

My Mom had a nice birthday. She got a book, candles, picture frame, flowers candy, cards etc. She didn't go out to dinner because she was too tired after working in the yard all day. She and Dad are going to a new place tonight. Someone told Dad about it. They are supposed to have good fish dinners. Mom loves fish.
Skeeter and I have been really good all week. It has been nice to have Mom home on vacation. She is going back to work next week. :(
Mom is still writing little stories about her dogs. Today she will continue with Buddy.

After taking care of a neighbors dog we realized how much we missed having a dog. By now we knew what we were in for by getting another dog. We went to several shelters to find one that really needed a home. Of course, they all do. Every time I go to a shelter I want to take them all home, but then sometimes there's that one special one. This time it was Buddy.
His real name was Sparky but the name did not fit him at all. We found out he had been mistreated and the spark was gone out of his life. He was in a cage with another dog that overpowered him. He was lying in a corner, somewhat interested in us but afraid to come to the edge of the cage. We asked if we could take him outside in their play area. He just walked around but showed no interest in anything. We decided if we didn't take him, probably no one would. We decided to take a chance.
The shelter warned us that the person who brought him in advised them that he was just over a year old, unhousbroken, destructive, and an outside dog. We put him in our van and the poor thing was so scared he got sick before we got him home. We didn't scold him. We stopped and cleaned up what we could with paper towels, told him it was OK.
We have a nice fenced in yard and that seemed to interest him. We let him walk around at will while we sat in chairs and let him go. He was friendly with me but aloof. That night he couldn't settle down so I took my pillow and a blanket and slept on the floor with him. By morning, we were friends.
It took a long time, almost a year before he fully trusted my husband. He was afraid of shoes. If they were lying between him and food he would starve to death. We gradually learned the things he feared and tried to cater to his feelings.
At one point I went away for a week and he and my husband were left alone together. He learned not to be afraid of the man that fed and walked him. How he loved his walks. We walked almost two miles twice a day, rain or shine, hot or cold.
Contrary to what we had been told about him, he never had an "accident" in the house. never destroyed anything, preferred to be in the house with us most of the time.
Like clockwork everyday he would go outside around noontime and lay in the sun. When that side got too hot, he would roll over until the other side got hot. Eventually we found that he had hip problems and arthritis. Apparently the sun felt good on his aching bones.
He would go for a ride in the van anytime he could. He usually just lay down in the back and napped but he was with us. That's what mattered.
He was a special dog. All my dogs have been special but Buddy was super special. The whole neighborhood knew him. He wagged his tail in greeting to everyone especially the "cookie lady". The cookie lady is a neighbor that walks but always has a pocket full on dog cookies. Buddy could spot her 1/2 mile away. He would sit down and refuse to move until she caught up with us.
Age began to creep up on Buddy and he couldn't walk as far anymore. We shortened our walks but we always went.
By now he was on medication for his joints and it was helping some. It never changed his good nature no matter how bad he felt. Sometimes when we were walking he would have to lay down and rest awhile. There are so many stories about all my dogs that it would take a book for each one.
More about Buddy next time.

Today's quote is by Isak Dinesen.

" I think these difficult times have helped me to understand better than before how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way and that so many things that one goes around worrying about are of no importance whatsoever."